Combination-lock for automobiles.



H. H. CHRISIVIAN & F. W. ADSIT.

COMBINATION LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. IUI

Patented Mar. 2O, 1919.

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H. H. CHRISMAN & F. W. ADSIT. COMBINATION LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLfcATloN FILED APR.1.|9|1.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

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FIG-4 ATTORN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT H. CHRISMAN AN'D FRANK W. ADSIT, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA; SAIDADSIT ASSIGNOR TO SAID CHRISMAN.

COMBINATION-LOCK FOB AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mal. 25, 1919.

Application led 4April 7, 1917. Serial No. 160,402.

To kall whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HERBERT H. CHRIS- MAN and FRANK l/V. ADsrr,citizens of the United States, residents of Minneapolis, county ofHennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Combination-Locks for Automobiles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a combination lock forcontrolling the magneto and other circuits of the car to prevent thepossibility of any one tampering with the car or using it without theconsent of the owner.

A further object is to provide acombination lock device having 'a seriesof keys of such construction that the combination may -be changed at thewill of the owner.

A further object is to provide a-lock comp'osed of comparatively fewparts and one which will be inexpensive to manufacture and install on acar.

The invention consists generally invarious constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying d-rawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view 0f a combination lock embodying our invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionalview on the line 2-2 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the line 3-3 of Fig. l,

Fig. 4: is a similar view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken at right angles substantiallyto vthe other sections `-on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, 2 represents a suitable lbase. 3 is a cover therefor,having lugs 4 formed on its inner walls. 5 represents locking latchespivoted at 6 on the base and having hooked ends 7 for engaging the lugs4 and also provided with armatures 7. 8 represents electromagnets,through which an electric circuit is closed by the movement of thecircuit-closing keys or pins, as will hereinafter be described indetail. The latches 5 are normally held in their locking position bysprings 9. Mounted on the base 2 within the casing is a frame 10 havinga top plate 11 in which a series of circuit closing pins or keys aremounted for a vertical sliding movement, said keys projecting throughholes in the top of the casing in position to ybe grasped by the fingersof the operator. The pins preferably have stop collars 12 thereon forlimiting their downward movement in the plate 11. There may be anydesired number of these pins or keys, but we prefer to provide four rowsof four keys each and designate them by reference letters a to pinclusive. These keys are provided with insulating and conductingsurfaces which we will indicate by reference'numerals 13 and 14, thesurfaces being preferably formed by rings or sleeves 0f conducting andinsulating material, which are placed on the reduced ends of the keysand held by suitable means, such as lock nuts l5. When these nuts areremoved, the sleeves may. be taken off and reversed in position, ifdesired. The sleeves have annular grooves 16 therein, into which thecontact springs snap when the keys are moved back and forth betweenthem. A block 17 is mounted in the frame 10 intermediate to the top andbottom thereof and composed of suitable insulating material and in thisblock the circuit closing springs 'are mounted, there being a pair ofthem for each key and we will therefore designate them by the samereference letters with the addition of the prime mark. The springspreferably proj ect through the block 17 and are connected to thevarious electric circuits by means of which the different elementsessential in the operation of the car are controlled.

lReferring to Fig. 2, A represents the magneto circuit and by means ofthe keys a, b, c, d, e and f several different combinations may beobtained, the circuit being closed by moving the pins in and out toengage the insulating and conducting surfaces with the circuit closingsprings. Evidently the owner of the car can arrange these conductingsurfaces so that a combination of, say, three keys may be made whichwill render it practically impossible for any unauthorized person todetermine which pins to operate to obtain the right combination andclose the circuit to start the car. This magneto circuit A is showngrounded on the car. An-

other group of keys g, It, z', j, la and Z are used for controlling thehood and cover circuits C and D, the pins being moved back and forth andthe insulating and lconducting surfaces being arranged to obtain anydesired combination. The keys m, n, 0 and p control the lightsl of thecar, the horn and the starter. These keys are not arranged incombination, but each has a battery circuit E and conductors F, G, H, Iand J leading to the starter, body, rear and head lights and the horn,movement of one key m closing the circuit through the starter while thelights are controlled by the movement of the keys n and o and thecircuit closing springs a, 0, n and o between them. Movement of the keyp will close the circuit to sound the horn. VThe two keys m and p arepreferably provided with compression springs 18 which normally holdthese keys in a raised position, as indicated in Fig. 4, so that whenthey are pressed down to operate the starter or Vsound the horn theywill return to their normal raised position as soon as released. Theremay be any desired number of keys and Without changing the electricalconnections or combinations may be varied by removing the'keys andreversing the positions of the insulating and conducting surfacesthereon, so that even when the combination has been detected the ownerof the car can readily shift the keys to form another one. These keyscannot be removed until the casing 8 is'taken off and as this casing isclosed at all points, it will be impossible for any one to examine theinterior and ascertain how the combination has been eected or learn therelative position of the insulating and conducting surfaces of the keys.

In connection with the key D, we prefer to provide contact springs Dconnected with a battery circuit Bthrough which the engine may bestarted before it is shifted over onto the magneto circuit A. Thesprings D are secured to the insulating block and project upwardly oneach side of the key D for contact therewith.

The device is ksmall and compact and can bereadily mounted in aninconspicuous place on the car. Y

In starting the car, the operator will move the key l to close thecircuit through the battery and form a spark in the cylinder. As soon asthe engine is started, the circuit through the magneto may beestablished by the movement of the key c, the engine having been turnedover previously by the movement ofthe key m in the starter circuit F.Whenever desired, the head and rear lights may beturned on by themovement of the key o and the body light by the key n. The horn circuitJ is controlled by the key o through which normally the circuit 1sbroken, as well as through the key fm. Circuits are also provided'forthe hood and for the cover of the combination lock. -These combinationsmay be changed by shifting the position of the keys and changing theinsulating and conducting surfaces thereof.

In various ways the details of construction herein shown and describedmay be modified and still be within the scope of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A combination lock comprisin a Vcasing, Contact springs mounted insaic casing and insulated from each other, electric conductors connectedwith certain of said contact springs and circuit closing keys mounted insaid oasin and having insulating and conducting surfaces positioned toengage said contact springs when said keys are moved, and saidinsulating and conducting surfaces being arranged for closing the cir#cuit through said springs when certain of said keys in the circuit aremoved in one direction and certain other keys are moved v instheopposite direction. Y

2. \A combination lock comprising a base and a frame mounted thereon, aninsulating block mounted in said frame, contact springs carried by saidblock, electric circuits connected in groups with said springs, a seriesof keys mounted in said frame for sliding engagement with said contactsprings, said keys having insulating and conducting surfaces, certainVof said keys being movable in one .direction to close theV circuitthrough said springs and other keys being movable in theJ oppositedirection for closing the same circuit.

3. A device of the class described comprising a base, arms pivoted.thereon, a cover having means for interlocking with said arms,electro-magnets and armatures therefor connected with said armsA andconcealed when the cover is in its closed position, an electric circuitfor said magnets and a plurality of keys operable outside said cover forclosing said circuit to trip said arms and release said cover.

4. A combination lock comprising a casing, contact springs mounted insaid casing and insulated from each other, electric conduct-orsconnected with certain of said contact springs and forming therewith aplurality of electric circuits, and circuit-closing keys mounted in saidcasing and having insulating and contacting surfaces positioned toengage said contact springs and complete the electric circuittherethrough and through the conductors connected with said springs,some of thevkeys in a circuit being mounted for inward movement yandothers in the same circuit for outward movement to close the circuitthrough their respective contact springs.

5. A combination lock comprising a base, a frame mounted thereon,insulating Vcontact springs mounted in said frame, a series of electriccircuits for said springs, certain of said circuits being connected witha certain group of springs and other circuits being connected with othergroups of springs, circuit closing keys mounted in said frame and havinginsulating and conducting surfaces for engagement with said s rings forclosing the circuits therethroug When certain of said keys are operated,and said insulating and conductin surfaces being mounted for reversal onsai keys, whereby the movement of one or more keys to close the circuitmay be changed.

6. A combination lock comprisin a base, a frame mounted thereon,insulate contact springs mounted in said frame, electric circuitsconnected With groups of said springs, a cover for said frame andsprings, circuit closing pins mounted in said frame and projectingthrough said cover, said keys having insulating and conducting surfacesfor contact with said springs, certain of said keys being movable in onedirection for closing the circuit between their springs and others ofsaid keys being movable in the other direction for closing the circuitthrough their springs, and some of said keys having means for normallyholding them in their projected or non-circuit closing position.

7. The combination, with the electric circuits of an automobile,includin the starterJ front and rear lights and the li e, a permutationlock device including a base and a plurality of contact springs mountedthereon, some of said springs being connected With each of saidcircuits, a plurality of cir cuit closing keys mounted in said base andhaving insulating and conductin surfaces to engage said springs each oft e starter and front and rear light and other circuits having aplurality of said springs and said circuit-closing keys thereinirregularly arranged in said base, and each of said circuits beingindependent of the other circuits and closed only by the movement of thekeys in i that circuit certain of said keys being movable in onedirection to close the circuit and other keys movable in the oppositedirection for closing the same circuit.

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto set our hands this 28th day ofMarch 1917.

HERBERT H. CHRISMAN. FRANK W. ADSIT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

